The unsung heroes and the champions of English amateur golf were last night honoured at the 2023 England Golf Awards sponsored by FootJoy.
Broadcaster and presenter Clare Balding hosted the event with 400 invited guests in attendance at the Hilton Manchester Deansgate, as the event was hosted in-person for the first time in four years.
The awards are designed to recognise and reward individuals, teams, clubs and counties who have shone in the past year and made a positive contribution to the amateur game in this country.
There were 11 category winners announced each with their own special tale to tell. In nine of the 11 categories, nominations were made by the public and a panel of 39 judges comprising experts from the golf industry, the media and England Golf staff had the unenviable task of picking one winner in each section.
The nominees for the Tournament Venue of the Year and Performance of the Year category were put forward and then judged by staff in the England Golf championships and performance departments respectively. Each category winner received an engraved glass trophy – supplied by Burridge London – to mark their achievement.
To find out more about each category winner, simply click on the links below.
| To find out more about each category winner, simply click on the links below. |
| · Club of the Year (sponsored by Citation) – Seckford GC (Suffolk) |
| · County of the Year (sponsored by Marsh Sport) – Bedfordshire |
| · Diversity and Inclusion Champion (sponsored by DotGolf) – Muslim Golf Association |
| · Participation and Development Coach of the Year – Mike Dodd (Sturminster Marshall GC, Dorset) |
| · Performance of the Year (sponsored by Performance 54) – Dylan Shaw-Radford (Huddersfield GC, Yorkshire) |
| · Sustainability Project of the Year (sponsored by OCEANTEE) – Bigbury GC (Devon) |
| · Tournament Venue of the Year – Sherwood Forest GC (Nottinghamshire) |
| · Volunteer of the Year – Sonia McCarthy and Kirsty Joly (Sandown Park GC, Surrey) |
| · Women and Girls’ Trailblazer (sponsored by Your Golf Travel) – Girl Guiding Project (Hertfordshire) |
| · Young Volunteer of the Year (supported by the Golf Foundation) – Emily Horsted (Woodhall Spa GC, Lincolnshire) |
| · Lifetime Service Award (sponsored by Global Golf Post) – David Phillips (Saltford GC, Somerset) |
England Golf CEO, Jeremy Tomlinson, said: “It has been an honour and privilege to welcome everyone to the Hilton Manchester Deansgate to celebrate the exceptional contributions of so many wonderful people to golf in England.
“We received some fantastic nominations for clubs, volunteers and individuals across the country and we’d like to congratulate all of our finalists, and of course, our winners.
“I would also like to extend my thanks to our wonderful host Clare Balding, whose warmth and enthusiasm radiated throughout the evening.”
Speaking after the event, Clare Balding said: “As a passionate golfer and someone who loves to play regularly, it was an absolute dream for me to host the England Golf Awards 2023.
“I had such a fantastic time hosting and huge congratulations to all our finalists and our winners. They are truly the people who make the game so enjoyable for players up and down the country.”
